Reporter Mary Cooley follows the crimes and court goings-on in the metro-east; she has a special affinity for the oddities that make life in Southern Illinois interesting. Mary has a journalism degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia and previously worked as a copy editor at newspapers in the Southeast.

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Kawasaki bikes were reported stolen from MetroEast Motorsports, a Southern Illinois business, early Friday morning, according to cops. The theft crime was being investigated as officers searched for suspects.